1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a method and apparatus for training cats to relieve themselves in a standard toilet bowl.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
There are a number of devices which can be employed to train animals to use a toilet bowl. The following possibly relevant U.S. Pat. Nos. describe training devices of interest: 2,053,594; 2,584,656; 3,672,331; 3,757,738 and 3,949,429. In addition, U.S. Pat. No. 4,181,096 is adaptable for both pets and babies. The foregoing references all have the advantage of being usable for both dogs and cats. However, they are disadvantageous in that they are large, expensive and cumbersome, and generally must be placed on and taken off the toilet each time they are used by the pet. U.S. Pat. No. 3,688,742 describes a "Toilet Training Assembly for Cats" which is specific for that animal only. The device is intended just for the purpose of training a cat to use a conventional commode. It cannot be left in place at all times so that the commode can simultaneously be used by human beings.
Structures are also known in the prior art that are adapted to fit inside toilet bowls for other purposes. For example, the following U.S. Pat. Nos. describe anti-noise and anti-splash structures of possible relevance and interest: 2,407,005; 2,931,047; 3,486,172; and, 3,614,790. U.S. Pat. No. 3,654,638 describes an "Output Commode Pan" which is employed to collect urine and other bodily fluids but does not appear to make provision for draining the collecting vessel. U.S. Pat. No. 3,484,872 describes a "Portable Bath Unit" which also fits in the toilet and makes no specific provisions for drainage. None of the foregoing devices appear to have the structural and mechanical advantages of the present invention.
There has been a long felt need for the method and apparatus of the present invention. The cat population of the United States is now estimated to be between 25 and 30 million cats. It is further estimated that the population will become larger as the trend toward apartment living continues, because it is harder to keep a dog in an apartment than it is to keep a cat. Cats do not need to be "walked" several times a day, or to be exercised outdoors. Cats are far easier to maintain because of their smaller sizer and because of their natural instinct to use sand or absorbent litter material when urinating or defecating. Even so, their litter pans are the source of unpleasant odors and of the disagreeable task of regularly emptying them, washing them, and refilling them with clean litter. Disposal of this material is also a health problem. Accordingly, a need became apparent for a device which could be used to help train a cat to relieve itself directly in a toilet rather than in a conventional litter box.